Drama at the Courts of Queen Henrietta Maria [Hardcover]

Karen Britland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521847974 | ISBN-13: 978-0521847971 | Publication Date: May 8, 2006

Drama at the Courts of Queen Henrietta Maria considers Queen Henrietta Maria's patronage of drama in England in the light of her French heritage. Karen Britland challenges a common view of Henrietta Maria as a meddlesome and frivolous woman whose actions contributed to the outbreak of the English civil wars by showing how she was consistent in her allegiances to her family and friends, and how her cultural and political positions were reflected in the plays and court masques she sponsored. Unlike previous studies, this book considers the queen's upbringing at the French court and her later exile in France during the English civil wars, and is therefore able to challenge received notions about her activities in England during the 1630s. Karen Britland employs innovative research by combining discussions of literary texts with historical and archival research and discussions of art, architecture and music.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Presenting the queen's theatrical endeavors as 'a displaced means of registering political opinion' (p 64), Britland offers readers a shrewd and detailed theatrical biography of her subject, beginning with Princess Henrietta's earliest balletic appearances in France and emphasizing the element of political allegory that invested all of her courtly entertainments." - Bruce Boehrer, Studies in English Literature

"this is a thoughtful and well-researched study that deserves attention from historians as well as students of court theatre." - Malcolm Smuts, University of Massachusetts, Boston

"Britland's richly interdisciplinary work promises to reshape our perspective on this moment of early modern cultural production."
Harriette Andreadis, Renaissance Quarterly

Book Description

Employing innovative research, Karen Britland considers Queen Henrietta Maria's patronage of drama in England in the light of her French heritage. Unlike previous studies, it takes into consideration the queen's nationality, discussing her actions in England in the light of her upbringing at the French court.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521847974
• ISBN-13: 978-0521847971
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,823,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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